Justin Chancellor talks Tool, songwriting and bass playing in premiere episode of Ernie Ball’s Striking a Chord podcast
New interview series will feature artists discussing inspirations, passions and more

Ernie Ball has released the debut episode of its new podcast series, Striking a Chord, featuring an interview with Tool bassist Justin Chancellor.
The episode covers a wide range of Tool topics, including a look into their songwriting process and the band’s experience of recently releasing their music onto streaming platforms.
Chancellor also discusses his studio bass setup, why he was reluctant to join the band in 1995 and the reasoning behind their no-cell-phone policy at live shows.
The new bi-monthly, audio-only podcast is hosted by Ernie Ball brand ambassador Evan Ball. According to the company, the series will feature artists discussing their inspirations and passions, examining what drives them to pursue music and write songs and uncovering the catalysts that inspired their albums, songs and more.
You can check it out on iTunes, Google Play, Spotify, and other platforms.
Additional upcoming episodes include Matt McJunkins (A Perfect Circle, Eagles of Death Metal, Puscifer, The Beta Machine), Jason Richardson (All That Remains, Chelsea Grin, Born of Osiris), and Gretchen Menn.
For more information, visit Striking a Chord.
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Rich is the co-author of the best-selling Nöthin' But a Good Time: The Uncensored History of the '80s Hard Rock Explosion. He is also a recording and performing musician, and a former editor of Guitar World magazine and executive editor of Guitar Aficionado magazine. He has authored several additional books, among them Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck, the companion to the documentary of the same name.

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